Blank for wood carvings



n- 1930. G. R. MEYERCO'RD ET AL 1,742,924

BLANK FOR WQOD CARVINGS Filed March is, 1929 Patented Jan. 7, 1930 v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GEORGE R. MEYERCORD, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, AND CHARLES B. NORRIS, 0F GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNORS TO HASKELITE MANUFACTURING CORPORATION, A

CORPORATION OF NEW YORK BLANK FOR WOOD CARVINGS The present invention relates particularly to wood carvings adapted to serve as master patterns from which any desired number of copies are to be made. Such carvings must not warp, either during the process of making them, or afterwards, at least until a copy or die in metal has been made. This is particularly true where the Carvings cover a large area.

The object of the present invention is to produce a blank for a carving of such a character that there will be no warping or CllS- tortion either during the carving process or (afterwards. If a block or slab of wood on which a carving is to be made is thoroughly seasoned, our purpose might be served, but even then distortion might result through the release of initial stresses in the wood upon cutting into the wood.

Viewed in one of its aspects, our invention may be said to have for its object to produce a blank on which a carving is to be made, that will not be subject to warping or other distortion; even though the wood to be carved r is not thoroughly seasoned, or even if the cutting operation should release in seasoned wood stresses tending to bring about a distortion.

In accordance with out invention, we produce a panel of wood to be carved and back it with a rigid foundation that is not subject to appreciable distortion through changes in the temperature and moisture content of the surrounding atmosphere. The wooden panel is glued to the foundation and there fore is held by the latter against any tendency that it may have to warp or become otherwise distorted.

The various features or novelty whereby our invention is characterized will hereinafter be pointed out with particularity in the claims but, for a full understanding of our invention and of its objects and advantages,

reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein: I

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a block or slab arranged in accordance with out invention; and Fig. 2 is a section, on a larger scale, showing a fragment of the block or slab.

Referring to the drawing, 1 represents a block or panel of wood that should be of a close-grained texture and fairly uniform in hardness throughout. We have found that boxwood is particularly suitable for this purpose. The part 1 is cemented to a some. what larger'rigid slab-2. In order to secure lightness, along with the requisite strength and rigidity, we prefer to make the backing or foundation of metal-sheathed lumber in the form of a thick core 3 of plywood and metal facings 4 and 5; the metal on one face being preferably bent across the edges of the slab so that the wooden 'core is completely enclosed. The boXwood cannot readily be cemented to the metal face of the backing, but we have found that if we interpose arlayer 7 of porous material between the boxwood and the metal, the porous member will adhere satisfactorily to the metal and also to the boxwood. Good results have been obtained by employing a thin sheet of popular wood between the boXwood and the backing.

We have found that a block or slab built up in the manner described will not warp or become distorted before, during, or after the carving operation, so that it is possible to make therefrom perfect copies.

E While we have illustrated and described with particularity only a single preferred form of our invention, we do not desire to be limited to the exact structural details thus illustrated and described; but intend to cover all forms and arrangements which come within the definitions of our invention constituting the appended claims.

We claim 1. A structure bearing or adapted to bear a carving, comprising a back composed of a piece of metal sheathed lumber, a slab of hard close-grained wood overlying the said back member, and a layer of porous material lying between and-cemented to the back and the slab.

2. A structure bearingor adapted to bear a carving, comprising a back in the form of a panel composed of plywood faced on both sides with sheet metal cemented thereto, a slab of boxwood overlying the back, and a layer of soft porous material between and cemented to the back and the slab.

3. A structure bearing or adapted to bear a carving, comprising a back in the form of a panel composed of plywood faced on both sides with sheet metal cemented thereto, a

slab of boxwood' overlying the back, and a thin sheet of poplar between and cemented to the back and the slab.

4. A structure bearing or adapted to bear a carving, comprising a rigid back member having at the top a metal face, a slab of hard close-grained wood overlying said back memher, and a porous layer between and cemented to said slab and the metal face of said back member. 1 1

5. A structure bearing or adapted to bear a carving, comprising a wooden panel, a metal facing cemented to the top of the panel, a

slab of hard close-grained wood overlying said metal facing, and a porous layer between and cemented to said slab and said metal facing.

In testimony whereof, we sign this specification. 7

GEORGE R. MEYERCORD. CHARLES B. NORRIS. 

